Display figure



Feb. 1, 1938. w. J. SWEENEY 2,106,813

DISPLAY FIGURE Filed April 3, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l i l VENTOR iWILL/AMd-S'WEENEY EE Wm Feb. 1, 1938. w. J. SWEENEY DISPLAY FIGURE FiledApril 3, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILL/AM cLSWEEA/EY Patented Feb.1, 1938 UNITED STATEfi PATENT orr ce 5 Claims.

The invention disclosed herein relates to display figures foradvertising, amusement and other purposes.

Special objects of the invention are to produce the balancing efiect ofa tight rope or slack wire performer or to provide a dancing or jumpingeffect in figures use-d for display purposes and to accomplish suchresults in highly attractive forms with relatively simple inexpensivestructure.

Further special objects are to provide display apparatus of thecharacter outlined in knock down shape, which can be packed and shippedin compact form and be quickly and easily set up in a practicalself-sustaining structure at the point of display.

Additional objects and the novel features constituting the invention areset forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate difierent practical embodiments of the invention, but itshould be understood that the structure may be modified and changed invarious ways all within the true intent and broad scope of theinvention.

Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention depicting aperformer balanced on a tight rope.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Figs. 4 and 5 are broken detail views as taken substantially on theplanes of lines 4-4 and 5--5 respectively of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a broken detail illustrating the connection of the wires withthe supported figure.

Figs. '7 and 8 are front and edge views respectively of a secondembodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a broken plan View of the same.

Fig. 10 is an enlarge-d broken sectional detail as on substantially theplane of line l0l0 of Fig. 7.

The first embodiment of the invention is representative of the figure ofa tight rope performer i i, balanced on a wire 12, extending betweensupports It.

This figure and supports may be made of flat sheet material, such assuitable cardboard and the whole be foldable, so that it may be readilyknocked down for shipment or set up for display.

In this particular illustration, the supports 13 are shown as connectedby an intermediate portion i l, hingeable along a vertical line I5.Fixed on the back of one of these relatively hinged sections is shown abase piece It, Fig. 3, having hingedly attached edge portions 11, whichproject beyond the hinge line 15, crossing back of the other section ofthe base, where they are caught by extending through slots E8, in asecuring tab 19, hingedly attached to said second base section asindicated at Zil. Fig. 4 shows how when the side strips ll are turnedback from the first base piece and the ends of the same are caught inthe securing flap I9, on the back of the other base piece the twoportions of the base will be held extended and the hinge connectionbetween the two he braced and secured relatively rigid.

The base, secured in the extended relation described is shown supportedin a slightly backward inclined relation by easel strips 2|, hingedlysecured at 22, on the backs of the support or tower portions i3, whichare indicated as caught in the rearwardly outstanding relation by flaps23, hinging down from the base portions 22, in through openings 24, inthe easel props 2! and slotted to engage over the edges of such props asshown at 25, Figs. 2 and 3.

The effect of a figure balanced on the wire is attained in theconstruction illustrated by making the wire in two sections I211 and!2b, havin angularly turned outer ends 26, extending down throughreceiving openings in the pairs of rearwardly projecting lugs 27, at theback of the supports l3, and angularly turned inner ends 30 28, meetingand entering a receiving socket 29, in the back of the figure.

The anchorage lugs 21, for the ends of the two piece wire are shown inFig. 5, as hinged tabs on the upper and lower ends of base pieces 30.secured over the base portions 22, of the braces or props 2!, perforatedin vertical alignment to take the downwardly extending ends 26 of theWire pieces. The socket 29, for the inner ends of the wire pieces isshown as a downwardly opening recess on the back of the leg of thefigure of a size to snugly receive the upwardly extending end portionsof the wire, thus locating the juncture of the two wire pieces behindthe foot of the figure, with the substantially horizontal portions inalignment and having the appearance at the front of a single continuouswire.

The anchorage of .the angled outer ends of the wire pieces prevents themfrom turning and the anchorage of the figure on the upturned inner endsof the wire pieces secures this figure in an upstanding relation,appearing as balanced on a length of supporting wire. The resiliency ofthe wire causes apparent balancing and back and forth swinging movementsof the figure with 55 vibrations, producing a life-like similitude of atight rope performers actions. The torsional or twisting movements ofthe wire pieces may be governed or controlled to an extent by thematerial, size and temper of the wire and by the weight and height ofthe figure, so that various desired back and forth swaying effects maybe accomplished.

The wire anchorage lugs 21, are shown as held in their extendedpositions by having the ends of the same projected through slots 3|, inthe braces or props 2i. The base construction described foldssubstantially fiat yet may be quickly set up in firmly supportingrelation. After being so set up, the downwardly angled ends of the wirepieces may be passed down through the openings provided for them in theanchorage lugs 21, and the figure be mounted by simply forcing thesocket portion firmly down over the abutted upwardly angled inner ends28, of the wire pieces. In this assembled relation, the parts are allfirmly connected and .well braced, but the wire pieces are left in amore or less tensioned springy condition, subject to the slightestvibration to set the figure moving in simulation of a balancing act.

In the second illustration of the invention, a figure I Ia, such asrepresentative of an animal, is resiliently supported on a wire I2c, ina position suggesting a dancing or jumping action over a background orsupport I3a.

In this particular construction, a single piece of Wire I20 is employed,having a downwardly angled lower end I211, entered in a pocket 32, onthe back of the support, said wire extending from this bent lower endrearwardly, upwardly and forwardly in a wide loop and terminating in anupwardly projecting angled end I2e, engaged in a pocket 33, on the backof the figure. The wire in this case is tensioned by the weight of thefigure and with sufiiciently resilient wire, a wide sustaining loop andthe proper weight of figure, cornparatively slight vibrations will causethe figure to dance or jump over the face of the background, which inthe case of an animal may represent a field, possibly with a fence overwhich the animal may appear to jump. This construction may well be usedto provide the illusion of a figure suspended in air, such as an adagiodancer at the top of her leap, etc. The wire, where it is exposed, as itis in the first form of the invention, may be colored the same as thebackground, making it invisible or less noticeable. In the second formof the invention, the wire may be entirely concealed and arranged tosuspend the figure in a floating relation in front of the background orbase structure.

The invention may be carried out in a great many ways and the claimsshould be interpreted accordingly, the terms employed being used in adescriptive rather than in a limiting sense, except as possiblelimitations may be imposed by the state of the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In display apparatus, a figure having a downwardly opening socket onthe back of the same, spaced supports having upwardly opening sockets onthe back of the same and wire pieces having upwardly angled ends engagedin said downwardly opening socket of the figure and downwardly angledends entered in said upwardly opening sockets on the support.

2. In display apparatus, supporting wire having downwardly angled endsand upwardly angled intermediate portions, a support having spaced partsreceiving said downwardly angled ends and a figure resiliently supportedon the wire and having a socket receiving said upwardly angledintermediate portions of said supporting wire.

3. Apparatus for providing the illusion of a figure balancing on a wire,comprising spaced supports, wires having angled ends held in said spacedsupports and extending in alignment toward each other across the spacebetween said supports, the adjacent ends of said aligned wires beingangled and a figure engaged over said last mentioned angled ends,forming a connection between and concealing said angled ends of thewires.

4. Display apparatus, comprising an upstanding support, a wire having anangled end engaged in the back of said support and extending rearwardlytherefrom in a wide loop projecting upwardly and forwardly toward thefront of the support and a figure engaged on the upper end of said wireover the face of said support.

5. Display apparatus, comprising an upstanding support, a wire having anangled end engaged in the back of said support and extending rearwardlytherefrom in a wide loop projecting upwardly and forwardly toward thefront of the support, a figure engaged on the upper end of said wireover the face of said support, the upper end of said Wire being angledand said figure having a socket fitting said angled end.

WILLIAM J. SWEENEY.

